A Funny Little Thing Called Trust
by Firestorm Runner
Summary: Ever since he had left his farm to go to Mistral, Oscar had been operating on a great deal of trust. Trust in himself, trust in this new group of people he was working with, trust in the voice in his head, and trust that everything would turn out alright in the end. But maybe he should be calling it blind faith instead. (Moments from V6C2-V6C13)
1. Her Name

**It's me, back at it again with yet another character study. Shocking.**

**Since it's a little difficult working with characters who share a headspace, the formatting for this chapter is:**  
**1\. Regular quotes is whoever is in control talking out loud to the group**  
**2\. Italics is Oscar specifically, mentally to Ozpin**  
**3\. Bold is Ozpin specifically, mentally to Oscar**

* * *

A cold wind ripped through him as hazel eyes started scanning the white expanse of the valley in front of him. The one they had just crash landed into. Where did he even _begin_? This was supposed to be a simple trip, one, couple hour train ride from Mistral to Argus. It was going to be even easier than when he had taken a train from his farm to Mistral, what with not having to worry about getting the tickets and having the funds and all that. The hard part wasn't even supposed to begin until they hit Argus, and even then the only roadblock they were supposed to hit was figuring out how to get into Atlas.

And yet here they were, now stranded in the mountains after a train wreck. For it already being midday, it was still _way_ too early for this many things to have gone wrong.

And if the Grimm attack, the discovery that the Relic they were transporting may have been a factor in the Grimm attack (something that would have been nice to know _before_ they boarded a train filled with innocent people), getting split up from Team JNR, and being practically stranded in the mountains _weren't_ enough…there was a little old lady who apparently decided to stow away on the back half of the train and was stuck here with them.

For lack of knowing where else to look or what else to catalogue, Oscar turned his attention towards her. She was short, with gray hair, a cane, and a weird contraption covering her eyes. He had never seen the technology before in person, but he could take a guess it was to help with her eyesight. His aunt had taught him never to presume anything, but he would wager a bet by looking at the sophistication of the device that she would be blind without it. Yet none of that seemed to stop the confidence coming off of her as she gave her greeting. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought she had fun on that ride…which was a stark contrast to everyone else at the moment.

The gravity of their situation started to sink in as he took in the wreckage behind her. The train cars they severed from the rest of the train were completely off the rails, and even if they could be reset onto the track they didn't look to be in any operational shape. And that wasn't even considering they had no power supply to get them up and running again even if they _were_ functional. They had no motorized way to get out of here. Well…they had Yang's bike but who knew if that even made it through the crash, and really how would all of them fit on one bike anyways? That was impossible. They really were stuck here with no way out but by foot.

_Oh Gods we're stranded…_

**"You did well holding your own against the Grimm. The worst of the fight is over, there is no reason to panic now."**

The voice in his head was a small reassurance, if nothing else. Because Ozpin was right, as he often was, there was no reason to panic now. The Grimm were dealt with and everyone was alright at the moment, even the old lady. They were safe, relatively speaking, and they would be able to get themselves out of this, just as they had with every other situation they found themselves in.

So as everyone else started going about the area, collecting their things from the debris of the wreckage, Oscar stepped forward to do the only thing he could think of doing, which was help the newcomer out of the train. His aunt had taught him some manners after all, and helping and respecting the elderly was included in that package. "Hello," he greeted the woman with a smile and held out his hand to her in an offer to help.

"Why, that is quite unnecessary young man," the woman retorted and Oscar frowned. She almost sounded insulted. But as she took a step forward and wobbled as the unstable train car shifted around her, she took his hand and he helped her out and onto the snow-covered ground below.

"My name is Oscar," he added as he helped her traverse the snow. He hoped it would earn him her name in return as much as he hoped it would distract her from the chattering going on behind them. Yang was in a mood it seemed, and while he couldn't necessarily blame the blonde, he didn't want the woman he was helping to hear Yang complaining about her and their current state anymore than he wanted to be reminded of it himself. There was no reason to panic, Oz was right.

"My name is Maria Calavera, and I am not defenseless!" So much for her not hearing Yang, but at least they had a name now. As Maria continued her defense, Oscar couldn't help but to laugh. It seemed they had found someone just as fiery as Yang…and at least she had a sense of humor.

His smile immediately fell as the topic switched to the Relic, and the weight of the situation they found themselves in rested on him again. Right…that bit of information. They readily handled the Grimm attack on the train with little issue, aside from the current one staring them in the face, but something still didn't sit right with him. Why wouldn't Oz have given them that information? Why didn't _he_ at least know that information? Ozpin had a way of hiding or blocking knowledge from him, just the same as he could share knowledge with him; he had learned that pretty early on. He always figured that was for the best, so as not to overwhelm him or the bond that they now shared. He respected that and never pushed, both for the man's privacy as well as not wanting to overwhelm himself.

But this…that the Relic maybe attracted Grimm? It seemed so small in terms of their bond but so important to tell everyone else. Had they known that going in, they could've been more prepared to face the inevitable. It was a safety concern.

**"I believed the risk was minimal. Perhaps I should have reassessed."**

Oscar didn't know if he could fully accept that. _"Maybe we should talk about that sort of thing before you decide?"_

"What happened to no more lies and half-truths?" He looked up as he felt a bunch of eyes land on him. Good question, he was wondering the same thing, and he made it a point to ask. _"What did happen to that?"_ he asked while verbally agreeing with Yang. He only received a tired sigh in response as he started stepping aside from the control over his body.

Oscar felt the dizzying presence of someone else as Ozpin took control. It happened every time and yet he still wasn't quite used to it. Nor had he fully gotten used to the feeling of practically floating over his own body when Oz had control, though it was much less unsettling now than the first couple of times it happened. He watched and waited quietly as Oz began explaining to everyone else.

"I did not lie to you," Oz started and that was…technically true. But withholding information wasn't that much better.

"Well you _certainly_ didn't tell us everything about the Relic," Yang snapped back, and Oscar could feel a sense of regret and a sense of frustration at her words. It took him a moment to realize that wasn't coming from him, but coming from Oz.

_"She's right though, you know,"_ Oscar said, _"Not telling them everything is pretty similar to lying."_

"Please, now is not the time…" He didn't know if Ozpin was talking to him or Yang. Probably both. And maybe it wasn't, being trapped in the middle of the mountains, but when _would_ be the time?

"No, we're past that! I wanna know why you're _still_ not telling us everything!" Yang shouted.

Oz sighed and folded his hands behind his back. "It is true the Grimm are attracted to the Relics. It's faint, but undeniable. I believe it has to do with their origin, but I'm not entirely sure," he finally relented. "Regardless," he continued before anyone, even Oscar, could interject, "I feared that making you all aware would only add anxiety and negativity. It seemed like the safer option."

_"I can kind of see your point,_" Oscar admitted. He could feel through the bond Oz thought he was doing what was best for everyone. Still, he shook his head, _"But still, wouldn't it have been better to tell everyone so they could be prepared in case this happened? I mean, I guess they already were but…still. If you had told them in Mistral when you were explaining the Relic, they would've had time to accept it and settle down."_

**"I did not know if they would settle down or the weight of the knowledge would only rest heavier on all of you. You are still young, after all, you should not have to worry about such things."**

"You know, I'm getting real tired of people choosing what's best for me," Weiss remarked, and Oscar found himself sympathizing.

_"I know we're young but they've been through a lot. And you're living in my head_," Oscar said, _"They did everything they could to protect Beacon. I didn't even want to leave my farm, but in the end I still did. Maybe you should trust us a little more that we'll do what we have to."_

He got a relenting sigh in response. **"Perhaps…once we are in Argus we will discuss it further."** If nothing else, Ozpin was open-minded at least. They would have a discussion about it later, Oscar trusted him on his word there. Oz had always kept it in the past, that was why he was allowed to fight Lionheart at Mistral. And deal with the Grimm now. Ozpin may have felt he was always choosing what was best for everyone, but he was willing to admit when he might have been wrong.

If that had been the end of it, Oscar would've called it a win. Instead, he felt a chilling anxiety through the bond as the conversation switched to Lionheart and what the people knew of him. It was rightfully a touchy subject, but he didn't expect anyone to disagree with what Ozpin did. He didn't. Telling an entire kingdom of people the headmaster of their top school was actually an agent for the top terror of the world they didn't even know about didn't exactly seem like the smartest of plans. Even he could tell that much.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I believed the Kingdom of Mistral deserved better than the truth," Ozpin answered Yang's angry accusation. And Oscar still agreed. "And I believed Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifetime of service, and not for the unfortunate missteps he made in his final years."

_"Missteps?"_ Oscar asked at the same time as Yang's outbursts. While he agreed Oz made the right decision there, missteps was _hardly_ the word he'd use to describe what Lionheart had done.

Ozpin sighed again and answered both at the same time, "What Professor Lionheart did was reprehensible. I am not here to argue differently…" And that felt like a pointed remark towards him, because Oscar could feel the willingness to argue bubbling up. _He_ was the one who had fought Mistral's headmaster, after all. What Lionheart had done were more than missteps. "…But does one lapse in judgment truly negate all of his good?" Ozpin continued, "Do we not all have regrets? You may have met Professor Lionheart, but you never met the man he was before Salem found him."

Yet, something didn't add up. Oscar could tell he was holding back on something, something he wouldn't be able to push into even if he tried. _"Do you regret what happened?"_ he asked, and the mixture of emotions he got in response were hard to parse. _"Did you tell __**him**__ everything before Salem found him?"_ The anxious silence he felt in response was enough of an answer, and Oscar felt a bit of indignation burn through him.

Because maybe Oz was right, they hadn't met the man before Salem got to him. Maybe Leo Lionheart had been a wonderful, brave, kindhearted man before Salem turned him. Maybe he was ready to give up everything for humanity back then. And maybe, _just maybe_, if he had known the full truth…whatever that even _was_ at this point…Salem wouldn't have been able to turn him. She wouldn't have had anything to use to manipulate him with. Oscar wanted to believe that, he had to believe it. He needed to believe in Leo, and everyone else for that matter. He needed to believe people would generally choose the right thing if all the information was given to them. He hadn't been with this group for as long, he hadn't endured as much as they had, but he had learned enough and gotten enough glimpses from oz to know that if Remnant stood any chance against Salem, people generally had to choose the right thing and keep fighting.

At the end of the day, Oscar knew he would…all of the information would just make it easier in the long run.

_"You have to give people a chance!"_ he exclaimed. _"I know not everyone will make the right choice, but I have to believe most will! Lionheart was only one against a group of many who—"_

"Do you really think Leo was the first?!"

He hadn't been paying attention enough to the outside conversation to know if that was a response to him or everyone else. Oscar didn't have much time to question it though as images of people he didn't know flickered around him. He groaned with a sickening feeling sinking in him as he realized these images were old memories Oz had lost his grip on. Memories of others, people from a long life who eventually turned on this one soul and an understandable fear that history had a nasty tendency to repeat itself.

He shrunk back from the memories in an attempt to distance himself. _"Just how many were there?"_ The question slipped out, he hadn't meant to ask it but his shock forced him to speak.

**"…I've lost count. I'm sorry, you shouldn't be seeing this."**

Oscar frowns, disliking the regret in Ozpin's tone. _This_ was what he wanted to see, flashes of the truth and what had really happened to Oz. He _wanted_ to understand, it was all he wanted since Ozpin first reincarnated into him. "_And how many were there that stood by you regardless?"_

**"I don't know that either."**

Oscar didn't know if Oz refused to answer him because he really didn't know, or if he was simply distracted by the other conversation and…everything it apparently brought up. "That he didn't say those _exact_ same words to me? I'm sorry, but you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience—" Evidently. "—I'm not saying that I have reason to think you will betray me—"

Oscar didn't know if he believed that either, and in the bond that they shared there was doubt. He couldn't say that he necessarily blamed Oz, not after what he had just seen, but there was something still there. Something heavy, incredibly…_familiar_ and heavy was weighing on him. Oscar had felt this secret's weight come in waves every so often, sometimes when talking with the group, but mostly at night, when he and Oz were alone and should've been sleeping. After a while he'd stopped asking about it after repeatedly only being met with silence. Any brief glimpses at the ever-pooling memories did nothing to help with his understanding of it either.

He had left it alone for a while. He was starting to wonder now though if that was the best decision. Maybe it was time to push back at it, it could be a good thing. The group would get information they desperately need and Ozpin would finally get to see people will still stand by him.

"—I'm saying that I have reasons for the things that I do, the secrets I keep, the reason I—"

He did, Oscar knew that as well. But it was getting old and he was tired and at a time like this, where another secret led to another tragedy, it needed to end. For everyone's sake. Ozpin needed to trust _someone_. _"Is it fair to keep asking them to put their lives on the line for something they don't understand? How much longer can you do that?"_ he asked, _"How much longer can you keep doing that to __**me**__?"_ He only got a wave of frustration in response, followed quickly by a freezing fear.

"—Where's the Relic?"

The Relic…another weight, another secret. He hadn't been paying attention to it much back in Mistral, far more fascinated with the story and new information about the Relic of Knowledge, but it had been there during Oz's explanation then too. _"You lied to them about something else, too?"_ Oscar asked and without a second thought, threw all of his mental capacity against the block Ozpin had on the information. Probably out of sheer surprise, his block slowly lost its hold, and shock quickly flooded Oscar from the information.

_"It's still useable?! Why wouldn't you tell them that?!"_

**"They could use it to ask anything."**

Ozpin didn't outright say what the issue with that was, but the implication was there in the nervousness exuding through their bond. They could ask about him. Another wave of indignation washed through Oscar. _"So what if they do? Isn't it about time that we all got some answers? Had you just told them from the start, they probably wouldn't have asked anything!"_

**"I've come to know older, wiser men to be tempted by lesser things than infinite knowledge."**

_"Then you tell them it's still useable but that you're saving it for important questions! Now it's obvious to everyone that you're hiding something, of course they'll ask now!"_

**"We'll discuss this later, Oscar."**

No, no he was done being silenced and disregarded like this. He knew maybe Ozpin would keep to his word with that too, but he was done with not having any answers! That's all it had been since he left his farm to go to Mistral, vague acknowledgements and half-truths. He knew everyone had their right to their secrets, his aunt had taught him not be a busybody and respect people's boundaries, but this was getting to be too much. He was done living on blind faith. He wanted _something_ to go on, and the rest deserved it too.

And he wanted Ozpin to see that despite everything he'd been through, whatever all of that even was, there were still good people he could trust in the world. He was beginning to wonder how much Oz believed that himself.

"I need you to listen to me—" Oz stopped, eyes widening as he could do nothing but stare ahead. **"Oscar, what are you doing?!"**

Oscar pushed against the older soul's current control with everything he had. It was a struggle, but it was enough to stop Ozpin and whatever lie or non-answer he was going to say next. "Hurry…" Oscar croaked out.

**"Oscar stop this nonsense!"**

"…he's…"

**"Oscar, I have given you the choice to be in control of your own body since I was reincarnated. This is the only instance where I cannot let that happen."**

He felt a force against him and pushed back again.

"…trying to stop you!" The effort caused him to collapse as he and Oz did what he could only describe as the mental equivalent of a tackle. His body collapsed to the snow as the two wrestled for control.

**"Oscar, you need to stop this at once. You have no clue what you are doing!"**

_"You need to trust them!"_

"Her name…"

**"Oscar please!"** There had never been a note of true anger in his admonishments, but the truly _desperate_ begging in his tone became apparent with those two words. It gave Oscar a bit of pause and he felt a bit of regret at making the man sound like that, but it didn't stop him. He believed in what he was doing. Whatever it was, whatever happened next he _did_ trust this group.

And at the very least, Ozpin should trust that.

_"Then at least trust me!"_

"…is Jinn."

* * *

**For all you Oz lovers out there, don't worry. I'm one of you. This scene will be addressed again by the end, but I really want to believe that throughout it Oscar really did think the was doing what was best for everyone.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**  
**~Stormy**


	2. His Reckoning

**Nothing like half a year to deal with work, moving, health issues, and get back to writing...right?**

**Story isn't dead, I'm half dead, hope I made it worth the wait.**

* * *

Bitter cold winds swept through the open field, cutting out a path as they kicked another snow pile up into the air. Oscar watched the flakes twirl on the gusts as they floated back down to the ground, only to inevitably be sent back up into the air again by another bout of wind. He shifted the weight of his backpack, tugging on the straps and pulling the bag closer to his back, and shivered. Whether the shiver was a result of the cold or the looming emotions from the past half hour, he didn't know.

Well, between the storm in his chest and the aching in his head caused by a disturbing _lack_ of presence, he _did_ know. But the cold gave a good cover.

Almost unwillingly, his eyes looked back up to the rest of the group. Everyone was at least a good ten paces in front of him, and aside from the occasional howling of the wind and the crunching of snow under heavy footsteps, no one had said a word. Not since Maria and Ruby had agreed that they needed to press on to find shelter. They were right of course, none of them particularly wanted to die out in the cold. Yet the crushing hopelessness surrounding the group seemed to press on them harder than the biting chill in the air. The only thing that felt heavier to him was the empty isolation he felt from everyone else.

His jaw still smarted from when Qrow punched him (Oz….him? Gods he didn't know anymore) but that was nothing compared to the immediate sense of being cut off from everyone else. He had seen the exact same things as they had. The story of a world born twice over, of a humanity that was given a second chance, of a broken woman turning into the very thing she should've hated, of a broken man drifting helplessly through the centuries with no conceivable plan. He had heard Jinn speak the same words as they had, that there was no way to defeat Salem. He had heard Ozpin speak the same words as they had, _felt_ them even more deeply as they came out of his own mouth, spoken with his own tongue, that there was no real plan.

And yet…

Oscar's grip tightened around the straps of his backpack. "I'm just going to be another one of _his_ lives, aren't I?" That was all he could ask Ruby when she handed him back the cane. It felt far heavier when he placed it back on his belt. Just how many had held it before him?

Because despite everything, despite seeing the unspeakable horrors of the past and how Remnant came to be…how Oz and Salem came to be and the war they had been waging ever since, and despite the uncertainty surrounding them all now about problems near and far, there was only one thing he could think about. Life after life. Reincarnation after reincarnation. It was always one life for another, one was lost for this enduring soul and his mission.

And sure, maybe the life reincarnated into wasn't always lost. But could it ever truly survive the way it would've without having an extra passenger onboard? Could anyone ever truly have a life of their own when this burden was suddenly placed on them? Many tried, it seemed. But in the end, it was always the same wasn't? They all died alone, with the expectation of doing it again and again and again. Even the best of them, who died surrounded by friends and family, still died alone in a way. Because really, who could understand the burdens of a man trapped with a thousand years behind him?

Was it…it was inevitable he would slip away one day, wasn't it?

"Of course not. You're your own person," Ruby had said, but the comfort he derived from her words was short-lived. Qrow came by and admonished her for lying. They were better than that, he had claimed, and honestly it would've been kinder for the Huntsman to just punch him in the jaw again. It would've hurt less than the burning ache that settled in the pit of his stomach.

So that was it then. It wasn't as if he hadn't already seen the signs of it, the way Yang had demanded to talk to Ozpin, the way Blake and Weiss looked at him after he told them Oz had locked himself away. The anger and anguish in Qrow's eyes after he spoke to him…Oz…and the confusion reflected and quickly hidden away in Ruby's eyes. They already saw him, Oscar Pine, as Ozpin. Or at the very least, they already saw him as Oz's vessel. Not himself, just another empty body housing the soul with a real destiny. He already wasn't anybody to them…to anyone.

The past half hour replayed in his head again and again, to the point he eventually stopped in his tracks, watching the breath finally forced from his lungs take form in the cold air and float on towards the sky. His jaw clenched as he watched the group trudge on ahead of him, desperately trying to hold back the hot tears forming in his eyes. He had to resist the urge of his legs giving out under him, to just drop to his knees in the snow and not get back up. What did it matter anymore? Now that Ozpin was gone, they didn't need him anymore. No one did.

_"Is this it then? Is this all there is?"_ Oscar didn't expect an answer when he asked, but the silence that greeted him was unsettling nonetheless. He had grown used to having doubts and fears surrounding his situation, but there was always a gentle hand guiding him whenever they arose. Ozpin didn't always answer every question he had, he didn't always give a verbal response to every doubt Oscar expressed, but he had always been there. Even when he didn't speak, Oscar could always feel Oz's support, a gentle, calming wave of encouragement and understanding that would soothe what doubt he had. But now…

Now there was nothing. An empty space for his doubts and fears to fill.

_"Is that all I really am destined to be?"_ he asked, growing frantic in the face of the nothingness he was met with. He gripped the cane at his side, thinking that maybe if he held onto it, it wouldn't feel so weighted with all the lives that came before him. _"Oz, please! Tell me there's more! Please…"_

It was pointless. He wasn't going to get an answer. Ozpin's presence was still there at least, but it was so faint, locked in the deepest part of his mind behind so many walls, he had no intention of coming back. And Oscar certainly wasn't going to get in. He was alone for this, alone with his thoughts, there wouldn't be anymore answers or the comfort he had grown used to…

_"Would you believe him even if he did come back?"_ Oscar grit his teeth against his own question and shook his head. Believe or not, it didn't matter, he had grown used to Ozpin's presence and the lack of it was disconcerting. He was comforting, lies or truth. Oscar could have found relief, even if temporary, in a lie. Even if it was just the reassurance that everything would be alright.

_"That was his point, you know."_ It…it was, wasn't it? Ignorance was bliss. He sighed and ducked his head, releasing his vice-like grip on the weapon. After a moment he picked up his pace to try and catch up with the others. Or at least, to catch back up at a reasonable distance from them.

It _was_ easier to not know. He didn't have to worry about his fate when he didn't know the merge was seemingly inevitable. It was easier when they didn't know about what the Gods had done to the planet once. It was easier when they didn't know the true horrors Salem had committed. It was easier when they still had a blind hope that Salem could be defeated and that Oz had some sort of plan to do it. It was easier when everything didn't seem so utterly hopeless.

_"Do you regret your decision?"_

The question had been sitting in the back of his mind ever since they had all been released from Jinn's revelation about what Ozpin was hiding. Because this was ultimately the result of his decision to override Oz and tell Ruby about Jinn. They all knew because of him, because he had uttered the Relic's name. Oz had locked himself away because of how they reacted to knowing. Yet, with all the fear, all the uncertainty, all the despair surrounding their situations and their missions and the prospect that one day he would slip away…regret was not an emotion he felt.

Oscar tore his attention from the snow-covered ground when he noticed the group stopped. Ruby and Qrow were talking quietly at the front. He couldn't hear what it was about, but he could guess it was in preparation of what to do in case this trail wound up going nowhere. It was a brief conversation, and as Qrow stalked off to scout ahead, Ruby took a second to glance back at everyone else. When her gaze finally connected with his, she gave a small smile. It was forced and it was broken and it held a tiredness that reached her silver eyes all too easily, but the gesture still counted for something.

He was reminded of a night a couple weeks back, when they were still in Mistral and things were…well, not simpler, but easier. When after countless hours of training, to the point that he was well beyond feeling exhaustion seeping into his bones, he had finally had it and asked Ruby how she could be so confident. How she could handle all of everything they had been faced with.

And she explained. She explained the horrors she had seen herself, the _losses_ she had _felt_; she admitted that she was scared for herself and scared for everyone else. That she hurt from everything that had already happened to her, to everyone. Yet through it all, she found the strength to keep moving forward. It seemed like they all did.

"Hey Oscar," she had called to him that night, "This isn't going to be easy. But the fact that you're even trying says a lot about you. You're braver than you think."

Perhaps Ruby had always seen something in him that he wasn't sure was there himself. The same with Ozpin, actually. And ultimately, _that_ was why he could say he didn't regret his decision.

Sure, the lie was easier. Living in ignorance was more comfortable and made everything much easier to deal with. But they deserved to know the truth, they _all_ did…even himself. It may not have been what anyone wanted to hear, but it was information they needed to know. They deserved to know what they were truly up against to prepare accordingly. And they _would_ prepare accordingly. Maybe not now, when everything was still so raw, but after some time had taken its course to heal the freshest of wounds.

Oscar still trusted them. Maybe he had no real reason to after the events that just transpired, but he still did. He understood their hurt, he understood their anger and their confusion. Hell, _he_ was hurt and angry and lost. But they would still do what was right. They always had up until this point, there was no reason to expect them to do otherwise. Especially with Ruby at the helm. They would keep moving forward.

Even him…even if it meant at the end of it all he could do nothing but slip away. Trepidation aside that had…never really been in question.

He sighed as the group started moving again and paused, watching his breath again as it curled around him and drifted up and up. After another moment staring up at the sky, he carried on with the rest of them.

The day had only provided further cruelties. They had found shelter at Brunswick Farms, but the gruesome discovery of the prior inhabitants left everyone even more on edge. It didn't make any sense, the entire town having gone to bed one night and just never getting back up. It was just another thing to add to the growing list of anxieties in the group. Still, they had no other choice but to stay since the snowstorm started raging outside.

After finding some food and a way out for tomorrow, everyone seemed to have settled down enough to get some sleep. Exhaustion had spread through the group like wildfire, so it wasn't necessarily a surprise that most everyone fell asleep quickly. Oscar wasn't one of them though, instead sitting in the back corner of the room and observing the cane he held gingerly in his hand.

He clicked the handle once, watching it extend, nearly silent, before he clicked it again and it retracted just as quietly. Like clockwork, the only thing that could be heard from the cane were the gears in it. The weight of the weapon on his belt had grown increasingly heavier ever since Ruby had first handed it back to him, to the point that it was haunting his mind long after everyone else had drifted off in their slumber. He had eventually given in, grabbing the weapon and examining it by the dull light of the fire for at least an hour now, lost in his own thoughts.

A small part of him was tempted to get rid of it. To be done with the whole thing and throw the cane into the fire and watch the silver metal glow red before slowly melting away. After the revelations of the day, it didn't matter anymore. It wasn't like the cane was _his_ weapon after all, and it wasn't likely Oz was coming back anytime soon. All it did was serve as a reminder of what he was and what he wasn't…and what the man who came before him was…and what he wasn't too. It was just another reminder of the hopelessness and inevitability of it all and…and Oscar was tired of that.

He was so tired of it all.

Yet, every time he moved to stand up and go to the fire, his hand gripped the cane harder and he sat back down. There was no use in destroying a perfectly good weapon…and it was the only weapon he had been training on, after all. One day it could…_would_ be just as much his as it was Ozpin's. Not to mention it _was_ a reminder. A reminder of what he was, and what he had to do yes, the inevitability of an unknown fate, but it was also a reminder of all the good he was meant to accomplish.

It was a reminder of all the good Ozpin had already accomplished, for thousands upon thousands of years.

_"Do you regret your decision?"_

Oscar was still tormented by the question. Maybe yes, he did regret causing that much pain to Ozpin, no matter how good his intentions or how unwitting it was. But no, he still didn't regret his decision. He still trusted the group to do what was right. He still trusted himself to do what was right too. And it was that conviction he kept reminding himself of every time it felt too pointless to continue on. It was what kept him from burning the cane every time.

He would keep moving forward. They all would. And maybe someone else needed that reminder.

_"Oz, I know you can hear me."_ That wasn't entirely true, but Oscar was pretty sure that he was still in there somewhere, listening to what was happening. _"They're hurt, and they're angry, and they're scared,"_ he said, a small frown forming as he stared down at the cane, _"You can't blame them for that. After everything they just found out…that I just found out, I get it. But I do still trust them."_

Oscar sighed and stood up, letting the cane slip through his fingers until he caught it at the top. _"I'm sorry for what I did but…there's still good in this world. **They** are the good still left in this world, and I know you believe that too_," he continued as he walked back to his makeshift bed. He pulled his pack to him and dropped the cane inside. He smiled at how it looked in his pack, like it belonged. _"They've gone through too much and still chosen the right path in the end. I trust them to still do what's right."_

He closed his pack and shifted it to the side as he laid down underneath his blanket. He closed his eyes and felt himself already starting to drift off into a much-needed sleep.

_"I promise, Oz. We'll **all** still do what is right."_


	3. Their Anger

**Welcome to the hell chapter, aka the one I struggled the most with. It didn't go anywhere I was expecting, but it finally went somewhere and I'm happy with the results regardless. Between the current world state and my desire to finish this before volume 8 (since I'm debating a sequel for volume 7)...hopefully the last two chapters will be much easier and quicker than this one was.**

**TW: Some depictions of a panic attack**

* * *

** _Thud._ **

Oscar flinched at the sound of flesh and bone hitting the wall. Briefly, he spared a glance over at Jaune, whose fist remained connected with the wall, little cracks in the drywall extending from where his knuckles rested. He watched as Jaune's arm slowly fell to his side and he hung his head. Oscar swallowed and looked back to the floor before the other boy turned around and could see his gaze. He didn't think Jaune would take very well to pity at the moment.

It wasn't as if he didn't know they would need to fill Jaune, Ren, and Nora in about what happened after the train crash, but he had hoped they would have at least a couple of days before it would inevitably be brought up. And it wasn't as if Oscar didn't _want_ to tell them, they needed to know but…but he had hoped the rest of them would be able to at least fully come to grips with what they were told before they had to relay the bad news. None of them had done that yet as far as he was aware, he certainly hadn't at least. Hell, Qrow was out drinking—_again_—after another setback at the military base. They hadn't really talked about it, or the Apathy and Brunswick Farms for that matter, since Jinn's vision revealed the truth to them all. It had just been sitting there, a heavy weight resting on all of them. A weight each one of them knew the other carried but wouldn't dare speak about.

He had tried to bring it up briefly during their ride to Argus, but the majority agreed with Yang when she said she wanted JNR's opinion before they formulated any new plans for how to proceed. Oscar could respect that, their opinions were important, but didn't having some sort of plan soften the blow of bad news? Shouldn't they at least try to process it for themselves first?

Now, with how the three others looked, he was pretty confident they should have at least tried.

"Everything we did was for _nothing_!" Jaune shouted, and Oscar flinched again. The anger wasn't unexpected but…he had seen far too much of it in the past few days. This was exactly how it started after Jinn's revelation too, and he felt dread fall into the pit of his stomach as he prepared for the worst.

"That's not true!" Blake was quick to try and comfort them, but was immediately shot down.

"_Really_? 'Cuz it sure does sound like it," Nora shot back, and the dread in Oscar's stomach only grew. He had never seen Jaune angry before outside of a fight, but he had expected it given what they were talking about. There was something deeply _wrong_ about hearing Nora sound so resigned though. She was always so feisty, always ready to dive headfirst into anything that came her way and this…this managed to snuff that fire.

"If Salem can't die, how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asked. He sounded the least affected and the most logical of the three, which was a relief in some regards and a concern in others. Ren was the logical one, but here he was asking for a plan they didn't have. Oscar also heard the edge in his tone and could see the rigidness in his stance. Ren was trying to keep himself controlled, but it was clear even he was shaken.

The silence that settled over the room was suffocating. Oscar tore his eyes from the floor to watch Blake and Yang exchange a glance before both frowning and looking away. Weiss stood next to him, staring at her hands folded in front of her. His gaze finally turned to Ruby, hoping maybe she had some words. Of courage or of hope, it didn't matter, he just wanted her to say _something_. She was good at these kinds of things, she had pep talked him up more than enough by now and he saw how her leadership had brought them back countless times before. But Ruby couldn't even look at him, let alone JNR.

_"So…it really is that desperate then?"_

His throat went dry at the thought and he closed his eyes. No, no it couldn't be like this. They couldn't fall to despair like this. He and Team RWBY had already come back from it once, after first finding everything out. What they were doing was still important! Protecting humanity, standing up against Salem…all of it was still the right thing to do. It didn't matter if they could actually kill Salem or not, what they had all done was still great, their heroism and protection of others was still worth it. It still meant something!

_"Do you regret your decision now?"_

The question still sat at the back of his mind, he had accepted at Brunswick Farms it was one that was going to haunt him for a while to come. Every time the truth brought another round of pain, at the very least. But no, no Oscar still didn't regret learning the truth. They all deserved to know what they were fighting against and…and he still believed in them all. He _did_. Jaune and Ren and Nora would be angry, just as the rest of them were in that snowy mountain range, but they would come to their senses. They were good people who felt compelled to do the impossible because it was the right thing to do. Because they knew the pain of what happened if Salem won the battles in this war.

He trusted them, they all would keep moving forward from this. It would just take some time to get there.

"Wow, great plan everyone." Jaune's caustic sarcasm stung in the face of everyone's silence, but he understood it. They were all frustrated, they were all _scared_ of what this meant, but no one could let it get the better of them.

The silence hung for another moment, compelling Oscar to finally look up and take a step forward. If no one else was going to say anything, the least he could do was try. The least he could do was remind them that this wasn't all for naught. "Look, none of this is great, we know. We're not the bad guys here—"

"Are you sure about that?"

Oscar trailed off at the question that was thrown at him, not sure if he heard it correctly. Or rather, not wanting to believe that he did. He felt his blood run cold as stared at Jaune's back and stumbled out a quiet, "What?"

"He's in _your_ head, isn't he?" Jaune continued and turned around. His irate gaze froze Oscar to his spot, even as the older boy started advancing. He had seen a very similar look in Qrow's eyes, right before he was punched. "Did you already know about this?" Jaune demanded, and he was on Oscar before the younger boy even processed the question.

Briefly, Oscar saw Weiss trying to defend him, but the next thing he knew, he felt a dull pain shoot up his spine as he was shoved into the wall. "How much longer can we trust him?" Any thought he had about being able to talk his way out of this and calm everyone down disappeared as he stared up into Jaune's face. Something burned in his chest at the question, but Jaune hadn't done anything after pinning him to the wall. It wasn't anything stemming from physical pain.

Someone called out in protest, but he could barely hear who it was or what was said over the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

"How do we even know it's _really him?!_ What if we've been talking to that **_liar_** the whole time!?"

The fury was plain as day in Jaune's face. And the fear. And the pain. In that moment, Oscar knew Jaune believed the words he was spewing. He believed the kid he had pinned to the wall was really Ozpin, he believed that Oscar wasn't there. Maybe even that Oscar had never been there at all. The burning in his chest turned sharp and started digging its way deeper and deeper inside of him.

He wanted to argue, to say something, _anything_ that showed he was Oscar. He was still Oscar and he was there and he had always been there, but the words only turned into a strangled gasp in his throat. All he could do was close his eyes and turn away from the irate scorn in Jaune's eyes, unable to stomach the look anymore. He held up his hands weakly, both as a sign that he wouldn't put up a fight and because he was fully expecting to get hit. Again. This was just like last time, and yet having to deal with it a second time made it so much worse.

"Jaune!"

He barely identified Ruby's shrill reprimand in his mind, still anticipating a blow against his jaw. When it never came, he tentatively peeked up at Jaune. Just as quickly as he was pushed to the wall, he was dropped. He shoved himself against the wall as Jaune pushed past him up the stairs and let out a sigh. The others started talking around him, but all he could focus on was his own racing heart and the way his legs were trembling. He was vaguely aware of Nora and Ren walking past him too, but only because it took all that he had to keep the stinging in his eyes from spilling over in front of them. He could only see the rage in Jaune's eyes, hear the accusations in his shouts.

_"I…I'm not him."_

"Maybe we could all use some space."

The thumping in his ears hadn't stopped, but somehow Blake's statement managed to pierce through it. It put a temporary hold on the words Jaune yelled at him from replaying in his mind again and again, a momentary reprieve from the bile that was rising in his throat. He finally looked up from the floor, unsure if the echo of JNR's stomps up the stairs were real or only his imagination, and saw the girls looking at each other in some silent conversation about what to do next. In a way, he was grateful they were quiet and their attention seemed to be focused on each other. Everything was way too loud.

Everything felt way too close, almost like something was constricting around his throat, making it harder to breathe with each passing moment.

_"Is this really what they think of me?"_

He wanted to whisk the thought away as soon as he had it, to decide this was just anger and fear talking and Jaune didn't mean anything he said. But he couldn't. He couldn't because maybe Jaune was _right_. Ruby had reassured him after Jinn's vision, but what was it Qrow had said? "Don't lie to him"? Something churned in his stomach, and it took all of his willpower to keep from vomiting.

He turned away from RWBY and instead looked at the door, too afraid one of them would look up and see him in this state. He didn't want them to see the emotions he was sure were written all over his face, he didn't want to have to explain what he was thinking or try to give a voice to the feelings he was having. He didn't even know if he could. No, no all he wanted was a moment to breathe and recollect his thoughts. All he needed was to be alone for a little bit, that was the only way he could gather himself.

"We should probably get some food for dinner tonight," Blake continued, and Oscar could feel something in him unwind a little. If they left, then he could have the room to himself. He wouldn't have to leave and have people questioning where he was going or what he was doing. "Saffron and Terra are gracious, but we shouldn't take that for granted."

"You're right," Yang agreed, "We could probably use some fresh air after…_that_…too." She stumbled on her words, which was rare for her.

"I think…I want to stay here," Ruby said. He spared a glance towards her, noticing that she looked towards the stairs and then her scroll. Right, Qrow. She had been trying to get into contact with him ever since he took off after the military base.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room for a moment as they probably reached some kind of agreement, and then there were the shifting sounds of movement. He wouldn't say what he felt was relief, but knowing that he was going to be alone soon did give a small bit of a reprieve. The need for solitude was beginning to consume him. His heart was still racing, even after everything had started to calm down and it was clear he wasn't in any present danger. The tension in the air was still thick, and he felt as if he were about to keel over from its weight at any moment. If they could just leave…if he could just be alone…it would be better.

"Oscar—" he started at the sound of his name and looked up to see Weiss looking back at him. He took a shallow breath and forced his hands to unclench. "—Do you want to come with us?" Her offer was genuine, but her smile was wary. Sad. She had been the one to jump to his defense when Jaune charged at him, hadn't she?

Oscar found himself shaking his head, not trusting his ability to speak at the moment. If a word even came out, he knew it would be cracked, and everything else was bound to come tumbling out after it. No, he didn't want to go with them. The need to be alone dug its claws deeper into his mind. Besides, if everyone was looking for a way to calm down, his emotions would just get in the way of that. He would just get in the way, like he always did.

_"This is what they think of you."_

The smile slipped from Weiss's face, and she looked like she was about to say something before she thought better of it. She nodded once and looked back at Blake and Yang, and the three of them were up and out the door. "If you need anything, just send us a message," Weiss threw over her shoulder before the three of them left.

He had thought…hoped really that as people started to filter out to their respective spaces, the air would slowly start to lose its tension. But it didn't. If anything, it was ever lingering, and its thickness only grew. The desperation in his own lungs grew with it. As the door clicked shut next to him, he looked up to catch another glance at Ruby. She was looking back at him, and when they locked gazes, she offered him a small half-smile, only one corner of her mouth tilting up. And like Weiss, it didn't reach her eyes. Instead, they only reflected her own exhaustion.

For a brief second, he wondered if she was going to say anything to him. Part of him dreaded the thought of having to speak after what just happened, but a small part of him wanted her to say something, _anything_ about what just happened. Even the smallest words of comfort would be appreciated. Instead, she looked down to her scroll and fiddled with it. Ruby spared him one last glance before holding it to her ear and turning away, muttering something to it he couldn't quite make out. He did hear her mention Qrow though, and Oscar figured it was for the best to leave her be. This was, after all, what he wanted.

Yet, as the seconds ticked by in silent seclusion, he realized it wasn't. Left alone as Ruby went out back, he found the quiet deafening as the fight reclaimed the forefront of his mind, the scathing words reverberating against his skull. The unease in the house was humming in his ears, and the tears he refused to shed burned in the back of his throat every time he took a breath. Maybe it wasn't the tension in the house that was causing him to feel this way, but the storm of his own emotions swelling up inside of him. They crashed against him, wave after wave, almost knocking him to his knees. Very suddenly he realized he wanted—no, _needed_—to release them…but for the first time in his life he wasn't sure how and, even worse, wasn't sure _what_ that would bring.

That scared him even more.

The longer he stood there, back still pressed up against the wall by the stairs, the more his legs became rooted to the spot. It was growing increasingly harder for him to breathe. He had thought being alone would bring the calm he needed but no, he needed to get away from the house…the people…_the tension_. He needed to escape the storm of his own emotions and spiraling thoughts.

Oscar forced a breath out of him he was sure he didn't have and slowly shifted his focus to making his legs move to the door, one after the other, in the calmest pace he could muster. He opened it quietly and did one check around him, assuring no one would see him leave, and then quickly walked out and closed it behind him.

The moment he was off the porch, he broke into a run.

It didn't matter where his feet were carrying him, Oscar couldn't even consider a destination with the crushing need to get away from that house looming over him. He didn't even _see_ where he was going until he was almost in the middle of Argus's shopping district. As he slowed to a walk among the semi-crowded he streets, he took a couple of the deep breaths he was desperate for and finally glanced behind him. His senses were coming back to him enough that he realized he must have sent at least two dozen people scattering as he barreled past them, and he let out a small groan at himself. If he didn't want to cause a full-scale scene, and he absolutely did _not_ want to do that, he needed to slow down.

A few onlookers gave him strange looks as he passed by, and he supposed he couldn't blame them. He probably looked about as disheveled as he felt after running from the Cotta-Arc residence all the way to the shopping district. He was just lucky enough that none of them stopped to ask him if he was alright. As he ambled further into the district, it became easier to fade into the crowd of late day shoppers. He even looked at a few things in the windows until he found an unoccupied bench in a relatively quiet section. He sat down and let his eyes wander over the various faces walking by as he reminded his lungs how to breath and his heart how to slow down.

Oscar did feel a little lighter now, being out in the open surrounded by a variety of strangers who didn't give him a passing glance. The calm didn't last though, as the events of the past hour seized his thoughts again, and he finally relented. He didn't feel like he was suffocating anymore, at least. With a disgruntled sigh, he tipped his head back against the bench and stared at the sky. It was late afternoon, and though the sun hadn't officially started to set yet, it hung low in the sky. If he wasn't so preoccupied already, he would have appreciated the colors.

_"They think I'm you."_

There was no reason to think that other than to acknowledge the thought's existence. He knew the hole where Ozpin's presence once occupied wouldn't respond to him. Oz was still gone, locked away in an unreachable part of his mind, and there were still no signs of him coming back anytime soon. Still, acknowledging the thought made him feel…something. Maybe he had just fallen into the habit of speaking to Oz too quickly and now he couldn't escape it, but the act still garnered some flash of comfort. Maybe he still had hope that the older soul would care enough about him to return. Or maybe…maybe a darker part of him thought he could guilt Ozpin back to take the responsibility himself?

Whatever it was that drove him to try again, and that was something Oscar didn't want to dwell on at the moment, it didn't work. That wasn't surprising, really.

"They think I'm you," he muttered to himself and sunk down on the bench. He threw one arm over his eyes, in part from exhaustion and in part to hide the fact he couldn't keep some of the tears from falling anymore. _"Why do they think I'm you?!"_

The fury on Jaune's face flashed through his mind again, and all the words and accusations he practically spat at him while Oscar cowered against the wall. The memory was like another slap to the face. Jaune's anger was forgivable given the situation, understandable even. He had experienced similar when they learned the truth. The accusation though…every time Oscar remembered _those_ words he felt something deep in the center of his chest stab a little harder. He could still taste the words he wanted to scream then mixed with the bile, the words that had come out as nothing but a gasp in the face of disbelief and fear.

"My name is Oscar Pine," he mumbled into the air, as if saying them now could transport them back in time. As if saying them now could make everyone else understand then. "I am not Ozpin!"

That much was true. He wasn't Ozpin, he _wasn't_! Just because the man lived in his head didn't meant that Oscar Pine no longer existed. Just because they were apparently of similar souls didn't mean they were the _same_. He was still the farm boy from a small town outside of Mistral, forced into a situation way over his head. But for how long? How long until those souls weren't separate? How long until he _was_ indistinguishable from Oz? How long until he understood the decisions Oz made?

_"Do you regret your decision?"_

Oscar didn't know now. If the truth could cause this much pain, to others _and_ to himself then maybe…were they ready for it? He wanted so badly to believe that they could handle this, that no matter what they would keep doing good because at the end of the day that was the kind of people they were. But the way RWBY and Qrow reacted after finding out, and now the way JNR reacted too…

No! _No_. He did not regret his decision. He _would not_ regret it. If Oz was going to place the fate of the world on their shoulders, as it seemed like he was, then they deserved to know the truth of the situation they were getting themselves into. He _still_ believed that, no matter how hard the truth was. And it was unfair to judge them based on an immediate reaction. _He_ had been mad and scared when he first found out too. It was what they did after they calmed down and looked at things objectively that mattered the most.

But…Oscar could understand Oz a little better. He had said he had seen great men do many things in the face of fear. He had endured countless breaks of trusts and surely countless heartbreaks from them. If just these two hit him so badly…how awful was it to slowly remember all of them? How awful was it to see this one…after team RWBY and Qrow? Because even if he was locked away, Oz was still aware…wasn't he?

"I am okay," Oscar muttered finally, blowing out a long breath. He meant it, sitting outside and feeling the breeze, listening to other people chatter and go about their day, it had helped him calm down and get his emotions under control. "I meant what I said back at the farms," he continued. Speaking aloud, even in a quiet mumble, helped make it feel more real. "I do still trust them. They'll do what's right, just like how RWBY came around. No one can blame them for being angry and scared."

He meant that, too. It was more extreme than he had anticipated, but Jaune, Nora, and Ren gave the reaction he had expected. He wasn't necessarily mad at them for it, he never really had been, though it was hard to decipher in the slew of sudden emotions he had felt in the moment. Being able to catch a breath had given him what he needed to untangle some of the thoughts buzzing in his mind; he could acknowledge it was never who said it, but what was said that cut him deep.

Just recently, his greatest fear was that he was going to fade away. He had begged for Ozpin to give him an answer about his fate after Jinn's revelation. He had asked if his only future was to become another one of Oz's lives, if everything he was and his individuality would disappear into relative obscurity as time went on. People would know his name of course, and whatever actions he took in this war, but those wouldn't be _his_ if he disappeared. They would be under Oscar Pine's name, but ultimately would be Oz's actions. He would be just another name, just another body for the great Oz that would hold no meaning of the boy he originally was. That was never the proper question to ask.

Instead, the real question at the end of it all was if he, Oscar Pine, ever even appear at all?

Aside from his family, how many people knew who he was outside of Ozpin? Tasks on the farm had kept him too busy for friends when he lived at home. And now that he was around people he thought he was growing close enough to in order to start calling friends…they could only see him as another man. They knew Ozpin, their old headmaster, and what he had done and what he was supposed to do. And they knew Ozpin came back sharing the body of a boy named Oscar Pine. But they couldn't see Oscar, they barely even _knew_ Oscar.

He felt something catch in his throat. To them, Oscar Pine was just another mask.

_"They only see me as Ozpin."_

Suddenly feeling restless again, Oscar stood up and ran a hand over the back of his neck. He glanced around to gauge how many people were up and about before deciding to go back to walking around the streets of the shopping district. He couldn't run again, not here, not without causing some type of problem he inevitably didn't want to deal with, but there was no reason not to move and look while he thought.

_"They think I'm you."_

He was back to that phrase again. They only saw him as a conduit for Ozpin…yet, that in and of itself didn't feel entirely right either. Ruby had been so adamant back in the mountains that he wasn't just going to be another one of Ozpin's lives. That meant she had to see him as Oscar, right? And Weiss and Yang and Blake, they had stood up for him today. They had invited him to go shopping for food with them. Surely that meant they saw him as Oscar…right? Even Jaune and Nora and Ren, they had spent time with him before today. They had trained with him and ate with him and lived with him for the past several weeks. That meant something…that meant he was Oscar to them too…_right?_

He crossed his arms as something funny settled into his stomach and stopped in front of a window. He stared inside at the item presented at the front of the store, a green jacket, without much consideration. He just needed a few minutes to sort this out.

Because surely they couldn't all see him as Oz, right? Yet…in the heat of the moment almost all of them looked to him. Not for himself, but for Ozpin, to seek guidance. To ask questions. To blame. It wasn't that Oscar wasn't there, it was just that he…he didn't matter in those moments. Not like Oz. And if he were being honest, why would he? It wasn't like he had any experience with any of the problems they were facing. He was young, he didn't have much fighting experience aside from the occasional Grimm on his farm, and he had never been to a Huntsman academy. He had never even intended on leaving Mistral, though he might have dreamed about it from time to time. With Oz gone, what was he?

A kid the rest of them had only met a couple of weeks ago. A roadblock in the way of the man they actually needed.

They saw him, just not all the time, and definitely not how he wanted them to. Perhaps he had gotten a little too complacent with Oz, allowing him to take over for the fighting and the planning. Perhaps he hadn't been loud enough with his own presence to really earn a separation from the man in his head, but that was fixable. Especially now that Oz was gone, all that was left was Oscar.

There would be no question that when he fought, it was Oscar fighting. He wasn't the best at it yet, but he could train and get better with time if he really put his mind to it. He _needed_ to put his mind to it now that Oz was no longer there. His opinions would be his own too, there would be no doubt, and Oscar would make sure to voice them louder and clearer for everyone to hear. He could be a little more open around everyone too; not that he was necessarily ever _not_ friendly, but even he could acknowledge that Ozpin's presence always loomed when he was with the teams.

He could reintroduce himself, and this time he would make sure everyone saw Oscar Pine.

With his decision made, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window in front of him, the sun hitting just right. The boy staring back at him was just Oscar…no, _still_ Oscar despite everything. He would make the most of this awful situation one way or another and keeping going on no matter what. Because that's what he did, and that's what he was supposed to do, of that he was sure. He would not be another tragedy or another name that held no meaning of who he was. He would be Oscar Pine until the end, and he would make sure everyone knew it.

His eyes slid away from his reflection and to the jacket in the window, actually giving it consideration for the first time since he started staring at it. It was a simple, long green jacket designed for versatility and comfort. He _did_ rather like the color and design, and it appeared to be a very practical piece of clothing both on and off the battlefield. His smile widened and he nodded to himself as he fished for his scroll in his pocket. Maybe he could use a changeup…and after all, the first step in reintroducing yourself was switching up your appearance. It would definitely make a statement, and that was all he wanted.

This was the first step in showing the world who Oscar Pine really was.


	4. Interlude: Children of Fate

**Heya, remember when I started this with a 3k word chapter? Yeah...we're not there anymore.**

**Anyways, world's on fire, brain's on fire, Oscar, luckily, is not.**

**Hints of Rosegarden here if you want to take it that way. Or you could not take it that way, it's written for both to work. Also Arkos. Definitely some Arkos. I'm as surprised as you are that they came up.**

* * *

**_Thunk._**

Oscar sighed and leaned back on the bed until the back of his head met the wall. He rested the book he had been skimming on his lap and stared at the ceiling, fingers absentmindedly tracing the gold embossing of the title on the cover. He had only picked it up in the first place because it caught his eye and he wanted something to take his mind off the whirring thoughts about their plan to get to Atlas. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and for fifteen minutes his brain continued to focus on working out the logistics of _stealing_ an Atlas airship instead of the words on the pages in front of him.

"So, do you have any thoughts on the plan?" he asked aloud. It was the last option he had, but he figured it was still to no avail. If Oz hadn't commented on the starting plan of them getting to Atlas by way of stealing an airship, it was unlikely he would comment now. He had hoped that maybe, just maybe if he was alone and the plan was crazy enough that Oz would have to interject.

"Heh, guess it isn't crazy enough to be worried over," Oscar chuckled, though it was more of a nervous titter than it was of amusement. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly looking forward to trying to steal from the world renowned military, and was looking even less forward to the prospect of getting caught. They might not have agreed with Qrow overall, but the man was most certainly correct when he said it could all go south very quickly, and then it'd get really ugly.

"Certainly if you thought it was a truly horrible idea, you'd at least tell me…?" he continued, trying to reason with himself more than anything. If it was truly not worth the risk, Oz would tell him right? If he truly thought they couldn't do it, that it'd just bring more trouble than it was worth, he'd stop them. If not for some sense of care for the group, then for preservation of his current host and the Relic. If it was truly impossible then…Oscar would've known by now. He wanted to believe that, he had to, really.

It seemed like their only option. That still didn't mean he had to feel good about it, no matter how rousing Ruby's speech was in the moment. It was crazy, risky, downright _dangerous_. Stealing an airship was going to be hard enough from the Argus base, but then managing to fly it to Atlas without getting caught for being a rogue ship? And then not being caught as a rogue ship once they landed in Atlas? And then getting to Ironwood without any of the rest of the Atlas military finding out about what they had done?

Really, the biggest part of their plan was actually pretty easy: don't get caught. Everything would be fine so long as they didn't get caught. Unfortunately that wasn't just going to require skill, but luck…and they weren't too great in the 'good luck' department.

Yet, everyone seemed for it as they continued to talk about it. Ruby encouraged Jaune to speak out and everything else was downhill…or uphill from there. They needed something to go off of, some sort of plan they could do instead of remaining stuck in Argus with limited time and no way to get out. Oscar understood that, he _did_. He hated feeling stuck just as much as the rest of them, especially after…well…_everything_ they had just learned only days prior. He understood everyone's need to do _something_, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried that maybe they were being just a little rash. That maybe this plan was just a little too risky.

"But then, I guess it really _can't_ be that crazy if you don't have anything to say…"

He trailed off and looked to the door when he heard a quiet knock echoing through the room. Ruby stood in the doorway, hand raised to continue knocking on the door and watching him with some hesitancy. "Is now a bad time?" she asked and scrunched her nose in confusion, "Are you uh…talking to yourself?"

Oscar laughed a little at that and shrugged, realizing that must be what it looked like to anyone else whenever he tried to talk to Oz. Or what it looked like when he _was_ talking to Oz. Now…well, it wasn't wrong that he was talking to himself. "Kinda, I guess," he answered and waved at her to signal it was alright for her to come in. "I was hoping I could get Ozpin to talk about what we are planning for tomorrow," he explained.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. For a split second, hope flickered in her eyes, "Has he said anything?"

He smiled sadly and shook his head, "I don't think he's going to, not for a while anyways. It's hard to explain but…he's locked away pretty tight. I don't think he intends on coming out."

"Oh," she deflated and nodded. He could see the regret on her face and for the first time since Oz left, he wasn't sure if it was because she couldn't get Ozpin's advice or because of the events that transpired that caused him to lock himself away in the first place. After a moment, she smiled again and gave a small bob of her shoulders indicative of a shrug, "Well, that's not a bad thing right? At least the plan isn't so crazy he's coming back to warn us all or anything like that."

"That's what I was thinking," he agreed, "He'd come back if it was that bad, right?"

"He would, I think," Ruby nodded, "But I think maybe you'd know him better than I would by now."

Oscar frowned, "You've known him for longer."

"Yeah, but he's inside your head, silly," she pointed out, "Besides, aren't you two supposed to be similar souls? If it was really that crazy dangerous, would you come back to let us all know?"

He paused for a moment and thought, not about the answer to her question, but the point she made with it. She was right, they _were_ supposed to be similar souls, so what he would do likely meant Ozpin would do it too. Not always, _definitely_ not always, but enough, especially something like this when it was about safety and completing their mission. "Yes, I would," Oscar nodded.

"See, then there's _probably_ nothing to worry about!"

He studied her for a moment, swaying from side to side and picking at her sleeve. He didn't fail to notice her high-pitched emphasis on the word 'probably' either. "Ruby?" he asked and she hummed in response, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Maybe a little…" she trailed off, "I mean…I know what I said downstairs before dinner but it's the military! These aren't Grimm, they're thinking people and the Atlas military is scary good and if we get caught we'll be in huge trouble!" There it was again, the need to not get caught. She looked at her sleeve some more, pinching and rubbing the fabric between her fingers. "But I don't know what else we can do. It could take too long to get a message to Ironwood and I _promised_ Weiss we wouldn't leave her alone!" she said and turned her attention to him.

Oscar recognized her unasked question, if he thought there was anything else they could do. Any different path they could take to get to Atlas. But she just voiced the exact same thoughts that had been running through his mind the last half hour or so and he couldn't come up with anything better either. Not in the timeframe they needed to get to Atlas, at least. It was nice to be on the same page, but it sounded like Ruby needed to get it off her chest and have someone confirm to her that it was their best option. Not that it really mattered if it was their best option or not at this point. It was what they all had agreed to do, it was unlikely anyone else would go back on it now. And if Ozpin wasn't speaking up to stop them, then… "So all we need to do is focus on not getting caught?"

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, though it wasn't very convincing.

"I think we've worked with worse before," he shrugged, "An impromptu fight on top of a speeding train just being the latest in a string of bad situations." He had told himself that countless times in the past half hour, but he felt more convinced about it when he spoke the words aloud, to Ruby. All they needed to do was not get caught, that was easy in comparison to some of the things they'd pulled off.

"Heh, yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed again. Now she sounded a little more like herself, a little more confident in what they had to do. Her silver eyes narrowed a little as she looked at him, as if she just remembered something, and she added, "You did pretty good up there on that train you know. You helped us a lot. I'm sure now with the combat jacket nothing will be able to stop you now. We _definitely_ won't get caught."

He laughed, surprised by the compliment and her confident, if not teasing, declaration, "I don't know about _nothing_ but…thanks, that's what I was hoping for. I want to be more of a help, though I think you'll be more of a help leading the charge than me and my jacket."

"How about we both agree to do our best and help out?" Ruby asked and smiled at him again, and this time it felt more real. It reached her eyes, at least. But it quickly fell as she scoffed at herself, obviously realizing something, "Here you are comforting me when I came up here to check on you."

Oh, Oscar really didn't want to go back to this. He hadn't intended it, but it the shopping excursion he went on earlier to try and calm the raging tides of his emotions had caused a ruckus with the rest of the group. Weiss, Blake, and Yang noticed his absence once they returned from their grocery shopping, and both of the teams spent the rest of the day—up until dinner—out searching for him. Looking back, he felt a little guilty for not notifying someone before he left, but in that moment he was in no state to speak to anyone, let alone consider the ramifications of if he went "missing" for a few hours.

Honestly, he was surprised anyone even noticed his absence, and he was admittedly pleased to know they did.

Still, the ensuing apologies and compliments were getting to be too much. When Jaune started it on the porch by apologizing, he had told the other boy it wasn't necessary, and he meant it. He understood why JNR acted as they did, the same way he understood RWBY and Qrow's reactions in the mountains. He almost joked that at least Jaune hadn't _actually_ punched him (which was more of a half-joke and a half-serious form of gratitude), but the look in Jaune's blue eyes told him that somebody had already informed him of what Qrow had done and now was _definitely_ not the time for jokes.

Oscar had thought—hoped, really—that would be the end of it and they could all move on from that lapse in the afternoon. But the apologies kept coming through the first half of dinner, and when he practically pleaded with them to stop apologizing and insisting he was alright, they switched to the compliments. First it was the jacket, which was at least acceptable because it _was_ a nice jacket, but then it turned to the food, and he knew they were lies because he _burned_ the casserole and it wasn't as great as it could've been.

He knew they felt bad about what happened, especially Jaune, Nora, and Ren, but the attention quickly became almost as overwhelming as their anger from that afternoon. If he were honest, once dinner was finished and everything was cleaned up, he initially excused himself and went upstairs to get away from it and the rest of them for a bit. Only then did he start thinking about the plans for tomorrow and start to worry. He thought he would have had a little more time to himself before someone potentially found him again, but apparently that time was up.

"I told you all I'm fine, I _mean it_," Oscar said for what felt like the thousandth time that night, "I understand why the fight happened. Tensions were already running high and Oz and Jinn didn't exactly help that."

"Yeah but, just because you understand doesn't mean you can't be mad," Ruby argued. She paused and walked over to him, taking a seat on the empty part of the bed next to him. "You're allowed to be mad at us, you know," she added, watching him almost a little too earnestly.

He chuckled, both out of a bit of nervousness and finding some humor in it, "Why? Do you want me to be mad at you all?"

"No…well…_no_, but—" Her nose scrunched up in confusion again as she tried to phrase whatever it was she wanted to say. "—It's weird if you don't feel anything about it. You shouldn't bottle your feelings for everyone else's sake."

Oscar met her eyes for a few moments, a funny, _knowing_ feeling twisting in his stomach. She was speaking from experience, wasn't she? Ruby was always the one to keep herself together and pull the rest of the group forward, no matter what she was facing or feeling at the time. That night in Haven rang through his mind again like a bell. "_I **am** scared. But not just for me."_ When she admitted it to him that night, he had gotten just a glimpse of the fear and the hurt she must have gone through the night Beacon fell, the night she lost her friends and the better part of her innocence towards the world. And there had only been more piled on since. Yet she kept moving forward.

He wanted to say something, to comment on the sheer irony of her acknowledging him swallowing his feelings while she was doing the exact same thing. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to do it either, that her friends were there for her just as much as she was going to say they were there for him. Perhaps he already _had _in his eyes, because the look she was giving him was almost unreadable. Concern, definitely, but behind that was something else, something almost seemingly asking him not to say it rested in her silver eyes. So instead he sighed and looked to his lap, the red book still sitting there. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt," he said, the words coming from his lips before he really thought about them. That's what she had said that night in Haven too, wasn't it?

Oscar sighed again and tore his gaze away from the book to look back at her. "I know you guys knew Ozpin before you knew me, and I know he's the one with all the information and the one who…lied to you, in a way—" He wasn't as content on that word, '_lied_,' as he had been a few days ago. Ozpin hadn't lied…and given the reactions from everyone else, he was could understand why Ozpin did what he did. He didn't agree, but he understood. "—Kept the truth from you, anyways. And I know he lives in _my_ head now but…" he trailed off and stared at her. Hazel eyes imploring silver ones. "_I'm not him_. I _won't_ be him. I, Oscar Pine, came before Oz reincarnated, and I'm still here after. So hearing that maybe Oz was here disguised as me, maybe I…_we_ were one of the bad guys, being punished as if I was him…"

He trailed off again when he felt one of her hands grip his own. He looked down to their clasped hands and then back up to find Ruby smiling at him. "Oscar, I told you after Jinn that you wouldn't become him, that you are your own person. I meant it," she said emphatically. She squeezed his hand again and her smile brightened, "I still mean it. You're Oscar Pine."

Despite himself, he felt himself smiling back at her. "I know, I know," he nodded, and the smile slipped a little, "But it hasn't felt like that the past couple of days."

"I'm sorry," Ruby frowned, "For the mountains, especially. I don't think anyone has apologized for that yet, but we should have. And for today, too."

"It's okay, it's not like it's only your fault." Or her fault at all, really. Ruby had been the only person who hadn't gotten upset and rounded on him, physically or verbally. If anything, she'd been the only person there for him after both incidents. "I realize tensions are high, and as I said, I know you haven't known me as long as Ozpin. You guys have never known me _without_ Ozpin, so I get where it's coming from." His earlier declaration swirled in his mind, that they would see him now. That he would make them see him now, that he would be a little more confident, a little _prouder_ in who he was as a person. As Oscar. "And I know how I'm going to fix that," he announced and overconfidently straightened out his jacket, "From this day forward you're all going to know the real Oscar Pine."

Ruby raised a brow and tried to stifle a giggle at his performance. "Is the real Oscar Pine the one who burns casseroles and almost trips taking too many dishes to the sink?" she teases.

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm an excellent cook!" Oscar responded indignantly, though a laugh of his own bubbled up in his throat, "The dishes are another matter…but I'll prove my cooking to you next time. And more, all of it. All of _me_ and who I really am."

"I'll look forward to it," she giggled. After a moment, she cleared her throat and grew more serious, but the smile didn't leave her face, "Really, I do. I can't wait to know 'the real' Oscar Pine."

He nodded with a grin, "Good, I can't wait either." With the proclamation, he felt something in him solidify and then lighten, as if another weight had been lifted from him. He truly had felt better once he came to this conclusion to reintroduce himself earlier, but hearing someone—Ruby—state that she was looking forward to it too felt…great. Beyond great. It eased a worry he didn't even really know he had regarding them accepting him as he was now, without Ozpin. Just Oscar. Hearing her say they would, or she would at least, removed any lingering doubt he had.

"So you're okay, really?"

Ruby pulled him from his thoughts and the comfortable silence they had fallen into. Oscar nodded again and flashed her another grin, "I'm okay, really." He looked back down at the book and shrugged, "I just wanted a moment to breathe after the…uh…onslaught…of apologies."

"Okay okay, I get it, I'll stop now," Ruby chuckled and put her hands up as a sign of defeat, "So what did you come up here to do to escape us and all our apologizing?" There was a pregnant pause as she followed his gaze down to the red cover of the book in his lap and then she made a small, startled noise when he moved his hands to reveal the cover. "_The Girl in the Tower_ huh?" she asked, and this time her chuckle was weary, almost sad, "That used to be one of my favorites as a kid. I always wanted to be the knight, slaying monsters and rescuing the princess in the tower." Her hand reached out in question towards the book and he willingly handed it to her.

Oscar watched as she traced her fingers over the title, the same way he had done when he first grabbed the book off the shelf. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she flipped it open and leafed through the first few pages of the story, "It was one of the many that made me want to become a Huntress."

When Ruby didn't say anything else, he nodded in agreement and understanding. "It was one of my favorites too," he admitted. Surely it had to be here as one of many fairytales Terra and Saphron read to Adrien, every kid knew the story. It being one of his favorites was what had initially drawn him to it when he had entered the guest room, he hadn't even pieced together everything else until he read the title out loud to himself. Between the initial shock from Jinn and everything that had followed suit, he hadn't really had much time to consider _how_ learning Salem and Oz's story really related to the story he asked his aunt to read him every night before bed when he was little.

"When I grew older, I related to the princess a bit," Oscar continued, "I always knew I wanted to be more than just a farmhand, but there were some days where it felt like I would be stuck on the farm forever. I hoped someone would come along, maybe not a knight, but someone would see me and be able to point me to a path different than the life I had." He was young and optimistic, hoping for some sign that he should go and join one of the academies or travel to the heart of Mistral and start a life in the city. Wishing for a life beyond caring for crops and tending to animals.

Well, he got his wish.

"Now, though…" he trailed off with a frown. Now what? Now he was hundreds of miles from his home with a whole slew of new information and new responsibilities and a completely different outlook on life. Now he knew the princess he had related to for so long was actually a traumatized woman hellbent on destroying humanity. Now he _was_ the knight in the story.

"Now it's all complicated?" Ruby offered.

"Yeah," he said, letting out a long breath. He watched as Ruby finished leafing through the last few pages of the book, knowing what was coming before she even landed on the last page. When she did, there on the bottom, 'Happily Ever After' was scrawled out in overly fancy font.

"I wish the story really had ended there with their happily ever after." It would mean the current situation never had to come to be. Everyone could just be kids, Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. He could go ahead and be whatever he wanted.

And Oz…he felt the echoing pangs of sympathy every time he thought about it. Maybe Oz would have finally had some peace.

"I think we've all learned it's never that simple." Nothing ever was, was it? Despite the seriousness of her comment, he could hear the note of hope in Ruby's voice. The hope that had become increasingly prominent these past couple of weeks, even in the face of everything. That hope that saved Haven, that got them out of the mountains after all seemed lost, out of Brunswick Farms and away from the Apathy, and brought them to a new plan tomorrow to get themselves to Haven. He had grown to trust and rely on that hope—on _her_—a lot of late, to catch him when he started to spiral like he did. It was nice to have, even with the small bit of guilt at not being able to return it just yet. He'd get there though, he would. He _wanted_ to develop that unwavering faith for himself.

He wanted to be there for her, like she was for him and everyone else.

"So we'll just have to make sure to make our own," Ruby concluded with an extra hint of resolve. He didn't doubt that she meant it, and looking at her, it actually seemed obtainable.

"We'll get there," Oscar found himself agreeing. And despite not knowing how, or what they would need to do, or what a happily ever after even looked like for them now, he found himself believing it. They'd get there somehow, they had to. They didn't have the option of failure. "I don't know what it is yet," he muttered, looking at the book, eyes tracing over the letters of 'Happily Ever After', "But we'll get there."

"We will," she agreed, and his eyes moved from the book page to meet hers, "I'm glad you agree."

Oscar returned her soft smile and nodded slightly. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Ruby believed in the group's happy ending. It was nice to see that even if there were still things with which she struggled over, things he one day wished to help with, she _truly_ believed they would get there one way or another. It was reassuring, and if he were being completely honest…hope looked pretty on her.

They both startled when there was another knock on the door, jolted out of their silent promise to achieve a happily ever after for everyone, and he looked to the source of the sound to find Jaune standing awkwardly in the doorway, not unlike Ruby was minutes prior. "Uh, hi," Jaune started, looking at Oscar for a second and then shifting to Ruby before his eyes nervously darted around them room, "Am I interrupting?"

He and Ruby looked at each other before he shook his head. "Nothing that can't be continued later, I don't think," Oscar said and smiled, trying to be as disarming as possible. Aside from apologizing, Jaune had been nervously skittering around him and avoiding him all evening. It had admittedly set him on edge a little bit, and he really wanted to show Jaune that he wasn't mad. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Jaune shook his head, "I just wanted to talk to you. Alone, if that's alright?"

"Oh…uh…sure?" Oscar shrugged. That wasn't exactly what he was expecting, if anything he had already been preparing to issue another round of confirmations that he was fine as Jaune gave what had to be his hundredth apology of the night. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what else they had to talk about.

"Okay, okay good," Jaune nodded to himself as if he had just cleared a massive hurdle, "I actually uh…wanted to show you something while we did. Do you mind if we walk?"

He looked to Ruby in confusion, wondering if maybe she knew what this could be about, but she just gave him a small shrug in return. "Yeah that's fine, it's not that late," he agreed, "I'll meet you outside in a minute?"

"Sure, sure," Jaune nodded again and after one uncomfortably long pause of not seeming to know what to do with himself, he turned around and headed downstairs.

Oscar waited until he heard footsteps going down the stairs before he turned back to Ruby again. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then?" he said, his confusion still coloring his voice. It wasn't _too_ late, but he imagined by the time he and Jaune got back he would more than likely be going straight to bed.

"Yup!" she agreed with a smile, "Thanks for talking with me."

He laughed, knowing full well that he was the one who should've said that. "Thank _you_," he corrected and headed for the door. "Good night, Ruby," he bid her and threw a wave over his shoulder.

He heard a quiet "G'night" in return as he descended down the stairs. He took a quick look in the living room as he walked off the last step and made his way to the door. Weiss and Yang were sitting on the floor entertaining and cooing over Adrien, who appeared to be basking in all the attention he was receiving. Blake was on a nearby chair skimming a book, and voices from the kitchen told him Nora and Ren were in the kitchen talking with Terra and Saphron. None of them seemed to pay him any mind as he opened the front door and quietly shut it as he walked out.

Jaune was standing on the porch, leaning over the railing and looking up at the night sky in some sort of contemplation, the moon's light causing glints on the white and gold of his armor. He turned as Oscar came out and opened and closed his mouth a few times as if to say something. Words seemed to fail him though as he opted to keep his mouth shut and not say anything.

"I'm good to go, if you are," Oscar supplied for him. He had no idea where this was going to go, and Jaune's uncertainty was only putting him more on edge. He didn't think there was any danger per se, he was certain Jaune wouldn't do that after the events that had transpired earlier in the day, but he had a feeling whatever was coming was going to be uncomfortable. Jaune's actions confirmed it, really.

Jaune nodded silently and started walking away from the house, signaling for Oscar to follow him. Oscar sighed but obliged, hurrying after him out of the residential areas and towards the shopping district. Instinctively, he pulled his new jacket a little tighter around him against the cold. It wasn't the mountains by any means, but a chill certainly descended on Argus at night. The streets were much less busy at night too, which made sense. Only the last-minute customers were out on the streets, and even they were heading home after leaving the shops. It was different from what he had experienced earlier, but it was peaceful in its own right to be walking through a city going to sleep, path illuminated only by the occasional streetlight and the moon.

It would have been better still if there wasn't an air of mystery and awkwardness and nervousness between the two of them. Oscar wanted to break it, but for the most part he couldn't figure out how. He had a feeling it wouldn't be broken until they talked about…whatever they were going to talk about when they got to…wherever they were going. He sighed again and shook his head, maybe he could try and get some information at the least. Anything that could break the uneasy silence. "So…can I ask where we're going?" he asked.

"I found something when we were looking for you earlier," Jaune said and Oscar noted that wasn't an answer to the question he had asked. "It…made me realize some things. We're going to…this courtyard," he added as they turned the corner.

Oscar didn't push anymore as he followed after Jaune into said courtyard. With each step, the statue came closer and closer into view, her features starting to stand out. And with each step, he could feel his heart sinking lower and lower into his stomach. This…_she_ was what Jaune wanted to show him? His mind spun with the possibilities of why Jaune wanted to bring him here, but it came up empty each time. Of all the things he was expecting, this was most certainly not one of them.

"Do you know who she is?" Jaune asked after a couple moments of admiring the memorial before them.

"Of course." He swallowed back a lump in his throat as he examined the statue. Standing tall, her head bowed, her hands gripping her shield, the moon illuminating her in the most striking of ways. "She's Pyrrha Nikos." Everyone in Mistral knew who she was, if not the world. She had been the kingdom's shining star. She was going to be one of the best Huntresses Remnant had ever seen, her death at Beacon was a tragedy. And now…here she was, standing almost as if the silent guardian of Argus. And here he was standing before her, unsure and growing more nervous as to why.

"Did Ozpin talk about her?"

Oscar sighed and hung his head, closing his eyes. The question didn't surprise him as much of the location, if they were here they were obviously going to talk about her. There was an obvious tension in Jaune's voice that he was struggling to keep control of, but Oscar didn't feel concerned over it. Not for himself, at least. He truly believed Jaune wouldn't bring him out here just to yell at him again, he was better than that. "Not explicitly, no," he answered honestly. They had never spoken about Pyrrha. The day after he found Qrow in that bar in Haven, the Huntsman told Oz everything else that happened at Beacon the night of its fall. He and Oz never spoke of it though, he just saw flashes of the red-haired girl and waves upon waves of guilt. He was almost knocked to his knees by the remorse the first time he met Ruby and JNR. JNR, the team missing their fourth.

"She's a heavy topic," Oscar added. He blew a long, slow breath out of his nose before opening his eyes to look at Jaune, "There is a lot of guilt there. Or…there was, anyways, when he was still here."

Jaune let out a noise that sounded akin to a laugh and nodded. Hearing it twisted something in Oscar's stomach. When the older boy blew out a breath of his own and looked at the statue, Oscar could see the tears in his eyes. "Her death is a heavy topic for all of us," Jaune said finally.

Oscar winced and looked away. Of course it was, he hadn't meant to imply otherwise. Damn, he should have chosen his words better, but when he opened his mouth to apologize, Jaune cut him off. "She was the first person to ever believe in me, you know," he said and walked over to the statue. He knelt down in front of it and brought his fingers to the plaque, running them over her name.

Silence fell over them, but instead of speaking, Oscar waited. It was clear Jaune was grappling with the memories _and_ the words he wanted to say. They may be here a while, but he would get to what he wanted to say. And it was apparent this was something he _needed_ to do, and probably had needed to do for a while.

"She was excited for me to be named our team leader, she thought I would be great, even when I couldn't understand how I had gotten it myself. I was in over my head, I knew that," Jaune shook his head with a sigh carrying a weight that could bring down buildings. After a painfully slow minute, he rose to his feet again. "When that became apparent to her, that I was in over my head, all she did was try to help. She trained me in private to help build my skills…and confidence."

Jaune's head turned to look at something, and Oscar peeked around to see a bouquet of lilies resting at her feet, as red as the flashes of hair he had in his—Oz's—memories. He was no expert, but his aunt did a lot of gardening on the farm, and he had seen her offer more than enough lilies to people who had a loved one pass to know they were a flower for mourning. He had never seen them in such a vibrant color before, usually the ones his aunt gave for funerals were white, but it was fitting for the person they were meant to honor. They immediately made anyone think of Pyrrha and her red hair, and then called to her own vibrancy and brilliant personality.

"Pyrrha saw the best in me, because she saw the best in everyone," Jaune continued, "She believed in the best of humanity, and fought for it with everything she had because _she_ was the best of humanity," he said, and Oscar could see the tears starting to spill over from his eyes. He could hear the tremor in Jaune's voice and watched as he hung his head. "She _was_ humanity's light."

That much was obvious in how much the group loved her. How Ruby mentioned her as being one of the reasons she kept moving forward, the way Nora and Ren spoke whenever they brought up any fond memory they had of her, in Weiss's blatant admiration and Yang's determination whenever she was mentioned, and even Blake's small smile whenever she listened to stories. And Jaune, standing here now, broken down over her memory and all they lost. Oscar took a step closer to him and reached up to rest a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort the boy who _clearly_ needed it. "I never got the chance to meet Pyrrha personally, but everyone in Mistral adored her."

He thought back to every time he saw Pyrrha on the screen, either in interviews or in the middle of tournaments. Her smile, the way she carried herself, the way she fought, her words…_everything_ was loved by the people of Mistral. He often heard people on the street talking about her, often even engaged in the conversations himself because she was…she was something special and the people recognized that. "We were all _proud_ of her, many of us still are. It sounds silly coming from someone who never met her…talking about people who never met her, but…" Oscar trailed off, choosing his words carefully to explain what she inspired in them, in _him_, "She made us feel…safe, in our future, if she was going to be a Huntress. And she was a Huntress, through and through. She inspired us and made us feel like we could do anything. Even a plucky little farm boy like me."

Jaune looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and though the tears were still flowing, he was smiling. "Thank you," he nodded. It took a moment, but Jaune lifted his head again and wiped the tears from his eyes. He sniffed once and ruminated on the statue once more. "I'm sorry, I didn't bring you out here to say only that," Jaune said, "I told you already, but I brought you here because I found this memorial to her earlier when we were looking for you, and it made me realize some things. I've been a terrible leader for my team, and an even worse friend to everyone. And somehow, even still worse to you," he said and turned to face Oscar, "And…I am _sorry_. What I did to you today should have never happened."

Oscar closed his eyes and suppressed his urge to groan. They had already been over this, he had already accepted the apology. It wasn't even necessary, he _understood_ why it happened and he already figured out how to make sure it never happened again. If this was all Jaune brought him out here to say, it seemed unnecessary. His next statement caught Oscar completely off-guard though.

"And I need you to know, you remind me a lot of her."

"_What?"_ Oscar's eyes popped open in disbelief. Had he just heard correctly? _He_ reminded Jaune of _Pyrrha_? There was no way, that didn't make any sense at all. She was a great warrior, a better Huntress, and an inspiring person while he…could just barely hold his own in a fight. He had questions and doubts and _fears_ for what was to come. How could Jaune look at him and see even a _glimpse_ of Pyrrha? "I…I don't know if you've noticed, Jaune, but I can barely hold this cane properly in battle," Oscar chuckled nervously and patted at the weapon clipped to his belt, "I'm nowhere close to Pyrrha's caliber."

Jaune shrugged, "In fighting, maybe, but who knows what time will bring? You've already improved drastically from when we first met you. But that isn't what I meant." He glanced at the statue again, a small smile tugging at his lips, "You were going to tell me you'd already forgiven me again when I apologized, weren't you?" When Oscar frowned and relented with a nod, he continued, "That's something she'd do. Pyrrha never held grudges, even for the people who wronged her. If you apologized, she forgave you, no questions asked. Because she believed in the best in people, and the best in humanity," his smile grew a little wider, "And so do you, Oscar."

Oscar shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, trying to think of some response that would counteract what Jaune just told him. "I…well…" he stammered, still nothing coming to mind. He looked up at the statue looming over them. She believed in the best of humanity because she _was_ the best of humanity. He didn't know just how far he believed that about himself but…perhaps. He always wanted to believe he could see the best in people, the best in humanity. He knew it was there, it had to be, he had seen too much good for it not to be…and he needed a reason to keep moving forward. "…Yeah, I guess maybe I do," he finally agreed, coming up with nothing to argue against it.

"You do, I don't have to guess," Jaune corrected, "You wouldn't have forgiven me quite so quickly if you didn't. You _shouldn't_ have. I know this isn't any easier for you than it is for the rest of us. It's probably harder, and I'm sure I haven't been making it any better."

Oscar bit the inside of his cheek, unsure of what to say. _Of course_ this wasn't easy. He was an unskilled farmhand thrust into saving the fate of the world. He was scared, he had doubts, and the isolation from the only group that could possibly help or understand only made everything worse. But it wasn't any easier for anyone else. They all had their burdens to wrestle, he knew that. "It's not easy," Oscar admitted, unable to shake he was stating the other half of what he had told Ruby in the guest room, "But it's not going to be easy, I've accepted that now. I'm…well…I'm terrified, I think we all are, but if this is my fate, I intend to make the best of it and do the most I can. What else _can_ I do but that?"

"Destiny," Jaune muttered and huffed a laugh. Oscar looked to him in question, but he didn't explain anything more. Instead, he stared up at Pyrrha's statue, reminiscent and so very fond. "I told Nora and Ren this, I think when Pyrrha went to fight Cinder, she knew there was a chance she wouldn't come back. I think she was scared, and sad, but she knew what she had to do. Despite everything, she had a duty, a destiny in her own mind," Jaune said. He glanced at Oscar, "Does that sound familiar?"

Oscar averted his gaze, understanding his implication and face heating with the praise. Jaune wasn't just saying that as an apology, was he? He really did want to stress the similarities he saw between Pyrrha and a farm boy in well over his head. His full attention turned to the statue, eyes scanning over it and taking in the depiction of Pyrrha's humbled, silent stoicism. He studied the angle of her bowed head, the shape of her closed eyes and calm face, the grip her hand had on her shield, and the moonlight that bounced across her features. The beauty and lifelike nature of it made him feel like another presence was with them…almost as if Pyrrha was there herself.

The statue really was a testament to her.

"It's an honor to hear you think I could stand in comparison to her," Oscar said finally, choosing not to try and argue Jaune's belief. He couldn't when he practically had his own words repeated back to him, and besides, who was he to decide what Jaune believed? And he truly meant it was an honor, coming from Jaune he knew the weight of those words. Yet, he turned his attention from the statue to his own hands and flexed and clenched them a few times before looking up at Jaune, "But…I already have one _massive_ legacy to fulfill. I don't know if I could handle two."

Jaune frowned and watched as Oscar flexed his hands a few more times. "I know," he nodded, "That isn't…quite what I meant either." He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly before continuing, "There was a lot of lead up to the Fall of Beacon. I knew something was wrong with Pyrrha, but I couldn't figure out what. I said a lot of things wrong, probably _everything_ wrong by the way she reacted, but I didn't know what was happening, and she didn't tell me—"

Oscar grimaced. Jaune had probably figured it out by now, but he had little doubt the choice to become the Fall Maiden was what plagued Pyrrha. The reason he felt so much guilt coming from Ozpin when he first met the two teams from Beacon, having had to put the weight of the world on a girl who hadn't even reached adulthood. The shock and secrecy of it all probably forced her to feel like it had to remain a secret. It probably made her feel alone and like she couldn't turn to anyone, even if she wanted to, because who would believe her if she did? Magic and mystery and saving the world, that was the stuff of fairytales…not reality.

_That_ was something Oscar knew all too well.

"—And then the night of Beacon's fall. She made her choice, I _saw_ what Ozpin wanted to do and I watched it fail as Cinder came in. And then Pyrrha went off to fight her _alone_, she forced me out of the situation so I couldn't help. No one could help and—" Jaune fell silent for a few moments, grappling with the words. Oscar could see the tears threatening to spill again, but he kept his composure this time. "—I think she knew she wasn't going to come back, but she felt it was her duty," he repeated and his eyes went to the ground. He looked tired, resigned to what happened, "I just wish she didn't feel like she had to burden it _alone_."

Jaune stood in silence, looking down and running his hand over the ends of the red sash he wore around his waist. Oscar didn't know where it was from, but he could take a guess. He let out a long breath, and when he ultimately looked up again, he stared at Oscar with an intensity the boy wasn't sure he had ever seen in him. "And I don't want it to happen again, to anyone else, _ever_."

Oscar blinked, only capable of looking at him in confusion as he tried to parse what Jaune meant, "I don't think anyone feels like they can't come to you."

"Maybe not, I could be overthinking it all," Jaune agreed with a half-hearted shrug, "But I want to make sure it's known. I want to talk to everyone, but Team RWBY and Nora and Ren have known me longer. And I haven't been nearly as bad to them." He paused and took a step closer to Oscar, placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing them to lock eyes, "I know my actions haven't proven it, but I want to be there for you too, like I want to be for all of them. Like I wish I could have been for Pyrrha. I may have problems with Ozpin but you…you aren't him, Oscar. I know that, and you deserve a much better friend out of me than I've been."

_You aren't him_.

Oscar's eyes widened a little at the words, and he couldn't deny a sense giddiness wash over him at hearing the sentence he had been repeating to himself all day come from yet another person. He wouldn't say it, but it was validating. _This_ was what he needed, not the apologies. An acknowledgement that he, Oscar, was there and he existed and he _mattered_. Ruby had already given it to him, but this was different. He had never doubted her. He had never necessarily doubted Jaune either, but only one of them had slammed him into a wall and disregarded his existence. This meant more than a sorry ever could to him.

"I think…I'd like that a lot," he smiled, "All I've wanted is to be friends."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Jaune said and released a large breath of relief. Hope was evident in his eyes as he asked, "So is it okay if we start over?"

"Maybe not a start over," Oscar said, smile growing brighter as a better idea started coming to his mind, "I don't want to start over. I want to continue on, move on and grow."

Jaune stared at him for a moment, as if processing what he said, and then chuckled, "Alright, Oscar Pine, whatever you want. We'll continue on and grow," he agreed, "And I promise I'll stick by your side no matter what from now on. As your friend."

_As your friend_. It sounded so nice to finally have. "And I'll stick by yours, as your friend," Oscar returned.

After an additional moment of silence, Jaune smiled and dropped his hand from Oscar's shoulder, "So, are we okay?"

Oscar chuckled, somewhat amused it even needed to be asked, "We're okay."

"Good, _great_," Jaune breathed, "Because we should probably be heading back now." He looked around at the silent town and night sky before giving a sheepish grin, "I didn't mean to be _quite_ this long, sorry."

Oscar laughed but waved him off. It was fine, if anything he was _glad_ it took that long. This was obviously something Jaune had on his chest for a long time and needed to discuss, and if he were being honest, he needed it too. It was good to have Jaune's side to understand where some of his feelings were coming from and, more than anything it was nice to hear that confirmation. To hear Jaune say he wasn't Ozpin and that he wanted to be friends. It hadn't been weighing on him per se, but Oscar felt lighter regardless. He wanted them to see him for who he was and now…they were. Ruby and Jaune confirmed it.

Both he and Jaune gave one last lingering gaze at the statue, him out of respect and Jaune out of a mix of emotions he couldn't identify, and turned to head back to the Cotta-Arc residence. As they walked, Jaune started talking to him about more menial things, like Nora's antics he missed when he went upstairs. Though he was paying attention, Oscar couldn't shake the lingering sense of…something. He couldn't quite identify it, it didn't feel like someone watching him necessarily, but like another presence was there. Like when he was closely examining the memorial in thought.

The wind picked up a bit and a few autumn leaves rose from the ground and blew past his face. On instinct, he turned to watch them and his gaze fell upon Pyrrha's statue, growing smaller as they continued walking away. He quickly turned back, a small smile on his face as he half-listened to Jaune explaining the insane block tower Nora built for Adrien.

_"Thank you,"_ he thought, almost compelled to say it. It was silly, but if Pyrrha really was out there somewhere, if she could hear him somehow, he wanted her to know.

_"They'll be okay. **We'll** be okay. We'll reach our happily ever after, one way or another. I promise."_

* * *

**Hope I did Jaune well, because I definitely didn't take the time to research him as much as I do some others since he was sort of a surprise.**

**Anyways, onward and upward.**

**~Stormy**


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